Driving mechanism for extensible antennas and the like



E. CARLSON 2,531,171 DRIVING MECHANISM FOR EXTENSIBLE ANTENNAS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 26, 1949 Jan. 1, 1952 6a m 5 wk 1 \l M a 1 4; 1 a 4 fimv. 0 a B 22 T w u w 1 W 6 M M 1 5 A 4 14F a. w i 4 6 MC. J 1 4 I M; w j W, J A 0 a 4 J 2 I J 0 i M fia vf Patented Jan. 1, 1952 DRIVING MECHANISM FOR EXTENSIBLE ANTENNAS AND THE LIKE Emil Carlson, Detroit, Mich., assignor, by mesne assignments, to H. Y. Bassett, 0. D. Marcks, and V. D. Hanna, Detroit, Mich.

Application January 26, 1949, Serial No. 72,844

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to means for longitudinally actuating extensible and retractable radio aerials of the rod-like self-supporting telescopic type frequently used upon motor vehicles.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide improved actuating means controllable from a remote point for extending and retracting all of the sections of a multi-sectioned telescopic aerial of the indicated type.

Another object of this invention is to provide antenna driving means of the indicated character adapted to employ a conventional electric motor as the source of power, parts being so arranged that the motor may eifectively drive the aerial sections through transmission means including speed reduction gearing, but neither the gearing nor the motor being drivable in response to manual actuation of the antenna sections. Thus although the aerial may be raised and lowered by the power means, the power means is completely released from the aerial except during actual driving of the aerial by the motor, and none of the parts can be injured by manual effort exerted upon the aerial itself.

A related object is to provide such improved driving means of a simple, compact and rugged character and which incorporates friction clutch mechanism adapted to prevent injury of the parts in event an attempt is made to drive the aerial beyondthe intended limits of its movement, and which also incorporates automatic releasing means of the character previously indicated whereby the driving parts and gearing are disconnected from the antenna except when the motor is energized whereby the antenna is freely movable by hand when desired.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon consideration of the present disclosure in its entirety.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevational view of the front portion of a closed motor vehicle equipped with a radio aerial construction in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a composite view partly in side elevation and partly comprising a section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows, with parts broken away; and

Figure 3 is a sectional detail taken substantial ly on the line 3-3'of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

1 Referring now to the drawing, reference char- 2 acter l0 designates the fender portion of a closed motor vehicle body generally designated l 2. The aerial assembly is intended for installation in the fender or other substantially enclosed body portion insuch manner that only the telescopic antenna sections themselves and a very small proportion of the supporting means for the antenna structure project above the supporting fender l0, while when the antenna sections are retracted, they lie within the fender throughout the major proportion of their length. In the illustrated construction, the antenna proper consists of three telescopically interfitted metallic sections [4, l5 and i6 slidably supported by and extensible and retractable with respect to a housing tube 20 supported by and within the fender.

The housing tube is supported at both its upper and lower ends by the fender. At its upper end, the housing tube carries a tubular sheet metal neckpiece 22 of reduced diameter which projects upwardly through the fender and the outer end of which is threaded for reception of the domed cap nut 24. The cap nut clamps the neckpiece and thereby the housing assembly to the fender. When tightened, the cap nut bears downwardly against a tubular filler member 25, the lower end of which is shaped to conform to the fender and which bears against a gasketing pad 26 seated against the fender. The housing tube is thereby drawn upwardly against a filler piece 28, which in turn bears against the underside of the fender. The filler piece 28 is formed as a sheet metal cup fitted upon the reduced neck portion 22.

The cap nut 24 has an axial opening 30 therein through which the antenna sections extend, and an insulating bushing 32 and a metallic contact tube 34 are also concentrically fitted in the opening 30 surrounding the antenna assembly. The contact tube 34 is in continuous electrical connection with the antenna elements through the agency of a bowed spring wire contact brush 35 contained in the tube 34 and bearing against the outer antenna section IS. The contact tube 34 is fixed in position by the terminal 36 which projects through the side of the housing tube 20 and into electrical connection with the contact tube 34. Terminal 36 is, of course, insulated from the housing tube 20 and is carried by a lead-in cable 38. It will be recognized that the lead-in and connecting parts may be ofconventional or any suitable. construction.

The insulating sleeve 32 is shown as formed integrally with a filler block 40 fitted into the upper end of the housing tube and neckpiece. A parwith respect to one another and with, respect to;

the contact tube 34 is restricted by suitable inwardly directed flanges as 4.5, 46 and 4'! formed at the tops of the tubes and whichv coact withem larged lower portions formed on the lower ex-.

tremities of the antenna sections. The enlarged portions formed at the lower ends of the antenna sections l5 and 16 may be formed by swaging as indicated at 48. The enlargement at the lower and, or the central antenna rodv I4. is ormed: by a hort ieeve- 49= se ured. to. thelower. nd of. rod M. and. projecti downw rdly a shortd stance below the rod. to forma downwardly opening socket for the reception of the upper end of the actuating wire or band 60, which is suitably reduced, inserted in the socket, and secured therein by crimping. the sleeve inwardly.

At its lower extremity, the housing tube 26 is carried by and secured to a casing 50. also formed of; sheet metal, and the upper extremity of which carries an integral collar 52 fitted into the lower end. ofthe housing tube and secured thereto as by the screw means 54'. The casing- 50. is of generally rectangular cross section, the bottom of thecasing being secured by the bracket 55 attached as by nutand bolt means 56 to the fender The driving band 551 is, flexible but substan:-

tially inelastic and may be formed of a suitable strong insulating plastic such as. nylon. The hand is of rectangular cross. section and. is. so.- cureci atits upper end.- to the inner antenna section 1.4. in the manner described, and extends slidably downwardly through and. outwardly b,e low the bottom of the casing 58,, axial openings for free passage of the band therethr-ough. being formed, in the disc 42., in the bottom. wall of the casing 59,. and in the bracket 55,.

The portion, of the. band which projects downwardly below the bracket 55, is. slidably fitted. in and protected by a, guide tube 6,2. which may be flattened to, substantially conform, to. the band in cross section, and thereby to key the wire against twisting about. its longitudinal axis. The tube 62. may be formed of metal and issecured to the bracket and. to the bottom of the casing 50,; by suitable coupling means such as is generally designated 6,4. The band is provided along one of, its. narrower edges with transverse rack teeth 6,5 which mesh with the corresponding teeth of a ear 68. carried in thecas ng 50,1.1ponatransverse shait 6.8.. Th g ar is loose. n. h shaf and provided with a pair of aligning flanges as 1.2. which project. therefrom. beyond and on either side of, the toothed portion or the gear and which. lie beside the band 60, to. hold the-band against lateral disalignment with respect to. the gear.. The. other narrow edge of the band may be slidably fitted in a guide slot 1'4 formed in. a hollow fram Hi upporte in th casing. 5.9. The fr me 19 als supp rts the: shait' 6.8 which is iou naled in. sm oth earin s as 5. th re n.-

'Ihe. shaft. is drivable by an electric. motor 1.6,, only the casing of whichis shown, since its details form no part of my present invention. The motor carries a worm 18 meshing with a worm wheel fast upon the shaft 68 upon one side of the gear 66.

Upon the other side of and spaced from the gear 66, the shaft 68 carries a diametrically projecting driving pin 82, which is loosely engaged in a V-shaped cam notch 84 formed in the adjacent face of a clutch disc 85. Clutch disc is limitedly slidable and also limitedly rotatable on the shaft 68, the sliding movement of the clutch, disc being insufiilcient to permit the notch to move entirely free of the pin, so that the disc is always drivable by the shaft through the pin. The opposed face of the gear 80 serves as a coactingclutch plate, and a friction disc as 86 is preferably interposed between the gear 56 and clutch plate 85.

The-pin and notch portions 82, 84 are so positioned and proportioned that the plate 85 is mov l a a y. a g the: sha t towar t e. ge 56. to a p s t o n; hi t, lu c uch; e a w o the shaft when cammed in that direction lay-the driving pin 82 in response to rotation of the shaft and pin by the motor. When the motor is; deenergized and the shaft is stationary, the plate may move away from the gear 56 enough to free the gear for rotation independently of the shaft. It will be understood that the clutch plate cannot move inwardlytoward the gear'farenough to free the notch from the pin, and that. when the clutch is engaged the manner described, the gear is clamped between the friction plate 36 and the opposed fiat face of the worm wheel 302 When the motor is energized; the pin tries to climb one of the-sloping sides of; the notch 84 and cams the clutch plate inwardly until the driv: ing, gear 66 is tightly clutched, whereafter. since thepin is still engaged in the-notch, the pin drives the plate 85. and thereby frictionallydrives the gear 6%. The friction between thessparts maybe so adjusted that when the antenna reaches the limit of, its travel, disc as. may turn with relation to the drivinggear 55-. Dueto the ti -shape oi the notch, the aeriala is drivable in either direc= tion in themannerdescribed, the motor T5 being reversible for this purpose. When the rmrtor is de-energized, if the aerial ismovect by hand, the band 66 merelyslides longitudinally andturns the gear 66, but since due to the loose engagemerit between. the pinand slot 832, 843, the plate 85 is freeto move away from the gear, the gear cannot drive the shaft. or the worm wheel and the antenna is freely movable despite the locking effect of the worm-type driving means.

The guide tube 52 may be bent to curvedform or any other desired or convenient shape for installation of the same beneath the fender, the shape in which itis shown in Figure 1- being illustrative only.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment of. the; invention he eindisclosed is well calculated to fulfillthe-oh, ctsabove sta es-l. it will be appreciatedthat the invention is sue: ceptible to modification, variation and; chan e without departing from the proper scope orfair meaning of thesubjoinedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. Driving means. for an extensible antenna or the like comprising an elongated flexiblerbut; sub.- stantially inelastic actuating element formed of insulating materi ins mn ac-ll 6 161 such anante n a. ro a driv eng in on face of said element to actuate the same ther by to c u t oueeoted o th actuating element when the driver is rotated, means for rotating the driver including a shaft upon which the driver is loosely mounted, clutch means for coupling the driver to the shaft, keying and camming means for actuating the clutch means and driver, means for connecting a driving motor to the shaft, said keying and camming means including a clutch plate axially slidable on the shaft, and relatively inclined camming abutment portions carried partly by the shaft and partly by said plate whereby when the shaft is turned, the engagement of said portions urges the plate longitudinally toward the driver.

2. Driving means for an extensible antenna or the like comprising a rack adapted to be mechanically connected to but separate and insulated from such an antenna and toothed along one side thereof, a gear meshing with the rack for driving the same, and driving means for the gear including a shaft upon which the gear is loosely mounted, clutch means for coupling the gear to the shaft, driving and camming means for actuating said clutch means to and from engaged relation and for rotating such clutch means and gear, means for connecting a driving motor to the shaft, another gear fast on said shaft beside said first mentioned loose gear, said driving and camming means including a clutch plate axially slidable on the shaft on the opposite side of the loose gear from the fast gear, and relatively inclined camming abutment portions carried partly by the shaft and partly by the plate whereby when the shaft is turned, the engagement of said portions urges the plate longitudinally toward said gears to clutch the loose gear between the plate and the fast gear.

EMIL CARLSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,276,935 Como Mar. 17, 1942 2,294,362 Brach Sept. 1, 1942 2,299,785 Barrett Oct. 27, 1942 2,327,163 Barrett Aug. 1'7, 1943 2,329,329 Brach Sept. 14, 1943 2,496,785 Finneburgh et al. Feb. 7, 1950 

